Darkness Theme Evolving and Corrupting Music | Red War to The Witch Queen
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- čas přidán 10. 09. 2022
- Heavily inspired by arrogant Specialist's video - • Destiny 2 | Darkness T...
Love seeing the darkness theme creeping into music and evolving every year. - Komedie
Red War cutscene is still chilling
Indeed
Indeed
Indeed
Indeed.
Indeed
I remember when i first saw the pyramid cutscene in the red war, and never will i forget the bone chilling sensation i had when the theme played and how i instantly knew that we and the traveller were basically on the clock now.
Bungie never fails to amaze.
I remember seeing it for the first time and instantly got chills. I was so interested in finding out what those pyramids were I searched up YT theory’s on it.
My friends called me crazy when I said the pyramids were the darkness I told them look at the flashback cutscene showing the collapse and you see pyramid shadows and after all these years I love seeing this evolve
I jumped out of my chair, since I remember the pyramids being part of D1' concept art. It was called "Darkness" aswell
@@NexxOmega Bro exactly, they have been haunting the series since before D1 dropped. They're just as ominous and terrifying now as they were then, and I love it
I remember the pyramids being teased in installing screens in the first game and finally having them in the game, still knowing nothing about them
I think rhulks theme is the absolute best so far. It matches as the ominous theme shifts from forebearing and mysterious, to threatening and violent as its our first time facing true darkness and finally learn of their true intentions.
Exactly
The motif goes from sticking out like a thorn to catch your attention, to completely enveloping everything in your vision to make itself clear that it's right in front of you, and I love it
I agree! I literally bought the Sound track just because of it. It’s the only other final raid boss to give me the same chills that Crota’s end gave when you pick up the sword.
The first time hearing Rhulk lore make me see Oryx like nothing
@@slan4096 both are crazy rhulk has subjugated a ton of worlds but the body count for both him and oryx will never be truly known we know that oryx had over 500 worlds due to that being the number of worlds his warpriest subjugated for him. I still think rhulk and oryx are the craziest enemies we have fought and I think witness is the only other powerful force that could top them or maybe xivu.
This is definitely one of the things Destiny 2 got right from the beginning. The music theme for the Darkness is so forebodingly distinct and overwhelmingly recognizable that it immediately stands out and can be weaved into other music motifs to hint to something far greater and sinister in the works. Then it gets more predominant as the Witness gets closer. Eventually swelling with Rhulk. A true embodiment of the Darkness, the notes are no longer hidden amongst a larger motif. They are the motif. Bungie nails musical storytelling.
It's literally the ONLY thing D2 got right from the beginning.
@@TheFirstCurse1mald
@@TheFirstCurse1 scratch the 2, Destiny 1 OST also is a fucking banger
I love how as we learn more about the darkness their track expands.
Destiny isn't the only game that bungie had story telling in its music, for example bungies halo 2 and 3 with their flood OST
Dust and echoes from halo 1 still makes me cry to this day, after the flood have consumed the entire ring and there is basically nothing but death around you, you go to the corpse of the horse you rode on at the start of the game, a desperate attempt at surviving and saving everything. That soundtrack is the definition of sparks of hope after everything seems lost and you are alone
@@WaveOfDestinyAre you sure we're thinking of the same Halo: CE? Because I don't recall there being a horse on the ring. 😅
@@theallsight7076 it was a reference to one of the subtitles you get in the Maw mission.
@@WaveOfDestiny Ohhhh! I see what you mean. Thank you for that!
Bruh, that transition with Rhulk was badass!
It helps that ‘The First Disciple’ starts with drums that quickly get louder.
Well obviously he’s currently the strongest raid boss we’ve ever fought in lore, if Rhulk was taking the fight seriously from the beginning we would be all dead but that wouldn’t be a fun raid.
@@kasm7870 the drums in game gave me chills, all throughout the matching sequence just the drums alone while you deposit the knowledge into the totems had me in awe at how badass he and his song are.
@@Ava_owl420fr iv seen people say rhulk was a pushover of a boss but the man could have insta wiped us in a matter of seconds if he wasn’t so arrogant. Only during final stand does he actually realise that we are about to kill him and that’s why there’s pervading darkness surrounding the platform it’s coming from rhulk himself meaning the whole crystal thing was him again being arrogant.
I love how it slowly becomes more prominent over time, symbolizing it’s approach. We finally hear this theme go full out when we officially encounter a disciple or enemy specifically attributed solely to the darkness.
That EXACTLY what I thought when I heard Rhulks theme for the first time
The fact it fully plays out only after we meet rhulk really fits perfectly as you said. It slowly geting more prominent as it gets closer to us until it’s at our doorstep
This sound has ruled my teenage years. I finally get to see it come to an end as an adult.
I was still 17 when D2 came out and felt a chill with the ending of the Red War Campaign. Now at 22 still seeing how this game is still going. It’s amazing how us Guardians now wield the Darkness when we at first fought against it.
One thing I notice is the “darkness” theme from red war to present goes from subtle to more and more bolder kind of how the witness is closer and closer to the traveler
The other factions usually have pretty obviously themed soundtracks e.g the cabal usually have a militaristic or Roman Empire sounding music or the vex are very techno and cyber, the only thing I can discern from the darkness theme is just alien and sinister.
I love how over time it started to creep it's way into other soundtracks
I feel alien, sinister, apocalyptic visions, some sort of twisted thing coming to reach out for its own purposes. Generally for me it's ideas that can't be defined in singular words.
A knife, cutting.
Gravity waves, pulsing.
It is not music.
It is presence.
@@Wormy_fren I think that's the point, it gives The Darkness, and by proxy The Witness and The Pyramids, a sort of Lovecraftian feel, something beyond the realms of quantifiable science and more powerful than we could ever process or know.
I get the feeling of a clock ticking down, like to the second collapse
Beyond light title screen still is the best title screen yet
I agree, im so partial to beyond light's music, say what you will about the dlc itself, i still think the music is some of the best.
Nah warmind was the shit, i loved getting my eardrums shattered in the middle of the night
@@Langodan the orbit theme for beyond light was beautiful. I’m so sad they took it out of rotation. The sound engineering for BL was amazing, really hit that industry gothic space opera mood with all the Europa themes
@@shy5248 the sound design is absolutely phenomenal. in the exoscience places you can actually hear machinery and all sorts of ambient noise that really immerses you. other locations have this too but it's not as apparent or impactful imo.
when i was doing the witch queen campaign and hanging out in patrol, the music that played in the throne world just didn't hit quite the same as BL's patrol music.
@@Langodan buried secrets, whiteout and wasteland are crazy patrol themes. The full instrumental release on Spotify is even better. Might be biased bc 2 feet of snow is common in winter where I live and I have it blasting while I walk anywhere
Despite how lackluster Shadowkeep was, I remember absolutely losing it when I turned that corner towards the Pyramid, I'm pretty sure that was the only time in my life I had a panic attack. Bungie did a great job hiding the full extent of the Darkness in that DLCs marketing (probably just to subvert expectations cause of how bad the dlc was)
Dude I had to do a triple take when I first turn that corner. Probably the only time I’ve ever felt fear in destiny
Shadowkeep might've had the worst overall campaign but by god did it have the best use of setpieces and scale.
@@DJET723 The only time we felt any kind of surprise too
@@jockeelly legit
@@tanwenwalters7689 also the best seasons Imo. Beyond Light was much more dry and repetitive, even with how horrendous Worthy was and unimaginative was Undying. WQ has had some good ones, namely Chosen and Seraph for story, but Plunder and Haunted were such drags it kinda brings it down
Traveller: (kills Ghaul)
Witness: what was that? Wait…Savathun? Is there something you want to tell us?
“Umm… up yours space megamind!” *dies*
@@harryquint7262 The Witness as a space version of Megamind? I can't un-see it now.
@@harryquint7262 oh you’re a villain alright, just not a super one
@@peabrain6872 it’s got a metallic cloak, a smoking scalp and a creepy ASMR voice. I think the Witness has mastered villainous presentation.
The Witness vaguely reminds me of Pinhead, the cenobite from Hellraiser (both wear black clothes, have white faces and black eyes, are worshipers of a dark religion and want to offer their gifts to everyone because they think everyone needs them).
For the red war one in the background you could hear a clock ticking symbolising the darkness’s approach. And then in the first Beyond Light one you hear something like a bell at the start of it symbolising that we are out of time.
very interesting. You can also hear the "clock" sound in the Shadowkeep theme, though it is much quieter, maybe to say there is not much time left. And in Witch Queen theme, you can hear some rushed notes in the background perhaps symbolising some urgency to stop the
Witness
creepy as HELL detail ._.
Salvatori said in an interview that the bell throughout Beyond Light's music was meant to represent Stasis, but that could also be an interpretation
Glad someone got around making it. Thank you for your efforts. Surprised there's such a lack of content on the leitmotifs of Destiny, especially since there are several prominent ones. How about making a video about the "Guardian" theme next?
Breshi does in-depth breakdowns of them, showing each one's appearances in each song it appears it.
Some of my favourite ones throughout the series are the taken king, iron lords and cabal stomp motifs. Some of the best recurring melodies in gaming.
i would love to hear every instance of the Inner Light motif, one of the best ones.
i really love the way the music team uses motifs like this and the guardian's theme. especially in raid boss themes like taniks' and rhulk's, it feels so grand
i like how the closer we get to the pyramids the music swells.
Season of Arrivals is still my number one favorite season to this day.
The stakes.
The music.
The consequences.
*The Darkness finally arriving.*
Still concerns me that we haven’t seen that absolute unit of a pyramid ship show up
yet
Might be the witness's personal ship?
Probably yeah
I would think that is witnesses personal pyramid and the smaller pyramids are commanded by disciples and their commanders
I love the darkness stuff man. The giant flying pyramids appear in the sky like we’re in Star Wars. The abduction and destruction of worlds, re obtained memories, Stasis and soon enough Strand, glaives, the music and sounds, the architecture, and then the disciples. Rhulk was awesome, destroyed his own race and planet to prove himself to the witness. Like bro…wHaT? Killed the leviathan (hive not the ship) and forced a hive worm into his ship. We will soon see about Nezarec! But also, you cannot forget about The Vex. My favorite faction and by far the most mysterious. Ancient, time traveling enemies that know and foresee every victory, loss and calculation. We’ve been to there world many times and i those times, the Black Garden is one of the most beautiful areas in the game, even in D1.
“The final abyss…awaits us all”
He didn’t kill the leviathan he just beat it up
pretty sure we have never found the Vex homework. Balck Garden is supposedly a timeless plane which a small faction of Vex have inherited to worship the witness, but is not their home
@@Ragnar_hg007 he fed it's rib bone to the worm gods
One thing I love about the darkness theme is how much it delivers that description from the first Collapse. The torn metal, the screeching and something that is so obviously horror right behind the closed door. And now as we go deeper and deeper into the plot, that theme only expands and unravels and becomes even more ominous, pressing. I love it. Rhulk's theme is absolutely the best part of this evolution for me.
I’ve always interpreted as the sound of the darkness literally twisting sounds around it into a reverberating cry, Rhulk definitely has this the most with him probably being the strongest resonance user in the lore possibly outside of the witness. God, I want resonance to be explored more as a concept, the ability to distort the underlying structuring of the universe and impose will in a physical form is such a sick power.
@@TzrcWolf_ I agree, the concept is honestly terrifying!
The darkness theme when it’s by itself feels like a herald’s horn. A blaring to announce the coming of the end. It’s otherworldly and foreboding
So like... The Gjallarhorn?
The travellers nemesis is motorcycle engine revs
Oh wow this pattern has been existed for a while as a hint.
One thing I really appreciate with the beyond light title music is how the break in theme lines up with when you would hit start making it feel like you were progressing the theme. Subtle but wonderful
"We beckoned, you answered"
The darkness motif is so great. It’s very sharp and matches the imagery of the pyramids, very unnatural sound just like the witness and the darkness as a whole, and conveys hostility
I wonder how many times we’ll hear that tone in Lightfall
Seems like we’ve been hearing it more and more
Also in final shape even more
I love how this leitmotif grows a little louder and a little more threatening each time it appears, as the Black Fleet grows closer and closer to Earth. Eventually growing into a sinister crescendo with Rhulk.
The darkness motif is so on point. First time I heard it in that Red war ending scene I def got chills.
Beyond Light’s opening menu theme is my favorite, the subtle vocals that go with the pyramid theme make it so much more foreboding
Strings
What scares me the most is, if you listen *realllyy* closely in the tower you can hear echos of he Darkness theme
…in the tower.
Wait wat
There is a traitor among us
That is actually terrifying.
I love how Bungie uses music to tell a story. I genuinely still get chill when I hear Savathün’s song.
Also present in the HELM
@@camsamhey oh shiiiii
I love how the theme goes from mysterious in the Red War. To pretty obvious in Shadowkeep. To dare I say alive in beyond light. To NOW, active in Witch Queen
To me the darkness and it’s theme get less terrifying as more light is shined on it, guess that’s fitting, shame the fear of season of arrivals won’t ever be matched but Rhulk’s themes still badass
same ^
I believe it makes sense, the Black Fleet quickly approaching and their true motives being revealed changes how their theme is used, going from an unsettling and mysterious tone to a more threatening and powerful one.
I love how the music is so alien and recognizable. I also wonder why there is darkness music during descent?
Prolly cuz theres a giant fuckin darkness statue in the deep stone crypt (as well as all the other connections clovis bray and the exos have with the darkness)
@@misterlist3140 perhaps, but descent is kinda far from the statue
@@willsmith5935 not at all, the Morningstar was kept directly above the crypt to ensure absolute destruction in the event of intruders
It’s crazy to think we’re 2 expansions away from finishing this 9-10 year journey. Man i don’t know how Bungie is gonna top this. Since we keep seeing more vex shit, i imagine the next arc will be about about the vex.
Possibly, but we still have Xivu for Hive, the Fanatic for Scorn, Eramis for Fallen, Quria would have been perfect for Taken, Vex for Vex, Otzot for Cabal. Xivu could be the main big bad like the Witness in this Saga or maybe they will come up with something new.
This is so cool. I love how the meaning changes with every new piece. For example: Savathun seems to use the darkness like a tool in her piece, whereas for the Witness, the theme is almost overcome itself by the sheer force of It, and Rhulk seems to be pushing that sound outward in defiance and confrontation but in a way that leaves him hollow. He is nothing else now.
The way that motif keeps cropping up adds to the creeping dread and feeling of omnipresence of the darkness. Very cool.
It is literally so amazing how taniks’ theme was blended with the darkness theme
The darkness sound just scratches my brain so well
omg love the intro to The First Disciple ^w^
rhulk my beloved
I am SO GLAD somebody did this. I absolutely ADORE how the theme has progressed. While we start learning more and more about the trur nature of the darkness, the theme evolves from the distorted sounds of the Red War to the proper theme with instruments in Rhulk's fight.
If you listen on the first encounter of VotD, the first 2 phases have the Darkness theme with the distorted synth, but the last one uses instruments
I love that the darkness motif in red war comes out with a bang, and then back on earth, all seems normal, but then as the darkness slowly becomes more central and overwhelming, the motif seeps into everything, slowly transforming the music, and building and building until the darkness motif has taken over the other soundtracks in their entirety, like how the darkness itself seeps in and slowly infests until there is nothing left but the darkness itself, the point where the darkness motif plays in its purest form, not mixed into any other soundtrack
Its like the Darkness is saying "No matter where you are, what you
you are doing, I am everywhere."
The red war cutscene still gives me chills
Rhulk's version is badass
Actually in certain parts of The Whisper mission you can hear the darkness theme. Unfortunately most of the music videos were taken down
Beyond light theme unveiled is crazy
Beyond light was just hitting that spot in the brain
YES. If you want to get even MORE Red-string about the music theory of the theme....you can trace it back to the Taken King OST, specifically the Visage of Oryx track, which does not have the same musical phrase as the theme, but has the horns in the same Key :)
You can always recognize when the Darkness is involved, through music alone.
The first disciple track as of now is my all time favorite d2 track
The initial theme, stands out, eerie yet subtle. As the Witness and his fleet move closer, the sound becomes more distinct, more intense.
The Pyramid Bass sound gets harder and harder every time the Witness is closer, by the time he gets face to face with us the bass will blow us
Io's whole OST clears most of the other destinations
Destiny Soundteam 🤝 always nailing the sounds for any event or scenes
Bro I wish I was that bass trombonist.
*The darkness is just getting closer and closer...*
1:20 is so goodd
The Shadowkeep reveal is one of my key Destiny memories.
You know, whenever this whole Light and Dark saga comes to an end, I am going to miss this motif, assuming we don't hear it after this saga. This motif has so much power with it that any Destiny player, at least those who pay attention to the music, knows exactly who they are dealing with. It is so incredibly foreboding and ominous and it is probably one of my favorite villain motifs out of any media out there.
It's interesting to think that this theme has been in some of the most important expansions (lore-wise) since the very beginning...
I absolutely LOVE the Darkness Motif, so having a compilation is amazing!
DSC theme still kicking asses
An enemy hinted at since the end of The Red War finally shows its face.
Literally chills every time
Damn, I thought this was gonna be a video essay.
Man i still remember the first time we saw the pyramids. Crazy times
Deserves more views lmao good vid
The darkness themes are absolutely masterful, it may not be Marty odonal but they all still give me chills no matter how many times I hear them.
Arrivals was peak darkness vibes
I love the way they get the emotion in the theme of the darkness, especially the beyond light title imo, where it just sounds so alien and this feeling to your gut of it being just evil and foreboding, honestly it’s genius
Anyone notice how each time with every expansion the theme seems to speed up in some way, hinting at the upcoming doom
The pure dread and mystery thats in the theme of the darkness is such a nice touch to add to the whole feel of the game
Something that makes me think.... The way that The Traveler and The Witness go about their rivalry genuinely feels like one brother trying to hide from the other so he can play with his toys in peace. Or one brother jealous of the toys, so he chases him all over the yard and tries to break them.
I don't know if that's the intention, or if I'm just reading too into it.
It's more like a father trying to run from child support
I love how much bass the Rhulk one has. Really gives the feeling of an unstoppable monster
I love that ending scene in the Red War. You see nothing, then BOOM!
I love how you made Rhulk have his own intro
I was so immersed in the begginning of shadowkeep that when i first saw the pyramid i just stood there with chills for 5 minutes
i love the mysteriousness of it all the light is always portrayed as a choir saying but the darkness is this strange ominous sound like its been woken from its slumber
Very good video.
1:50 i forgot thate the statue has massive melons
I love how the final red war cutscene used the tribulation from Marty O Donnels Music of the Spheres before the pyramids get woken up
It feels like a loud low drone trying to call you in the red war and shadow keep and then it feels like what could only be in my opinion audible darkness
That part in deep stone where it syncs to Taniks’ theme gets me every time my god
This might just be me, but the sorta-clicking sounds (like the ones at 0:20) kinda match up with the speed of a clock ticking, almost as if the darkness is saying “your time is running out, so use what you have”.
The DSC one with the D1 cosmodrome sounding theme and the darkness theme mixed in went hard
Nice.
AHHHHH! Beyond Light!
I love how Rhulk in this thumbnail is just him pointing at a warlock saying “ IM NOT DONE BEATING YOUR ASS”
Nice
"The great unknown" has as been in the ost a lot recently
I think the shadowkeep/season of arrivals version is the best. It’s more electronic and alien sounding compared to the more orchestral versions in beyond light and after.
Rhulk is the Gigachad.
New lights never got to play the story, only the multiplayer experience.
Really like 1:19 gives of that indie horror Soundtrack vibe.
Now that I listen to it correctly it had some cyberpunk violin tones in there as well
Personally beyond light is my favorite video game’s soundtrack of all time
You just made me realize all my favorite destiny music is deadass the same song
Imaging hearing this during the whisper mission 😱
ive never done rhulk with sound on and omg!!
I love the start of the votd song
Ngl the darkness is badass